Pastor – Coach – Reader – Cook
It was at least 25 years ago when my grandmother said to me, “someday, other countries will be sending missionaries to the United States.” I grew up in a church with a heavy emphasis on foreign mission. Jesus had commanded his followers to go, and we honored those who heeded that call to travel to…
Continue reading ➞ What if We’re the Target for Missionaries?
My July Newsletter has big news: I am now the Assistant Executive Director for CSFPA. This is a pretty cool and very humbling new job with plenty of new responsibilities, as well as carrying over a lot of the old responsibilities. In addition to working with the students at Penn State Berks (and Penn State…
The below newsletter was sent out a few weeks ago to my partners in ministry; I just neglected to post it here. You can read the whole thing here: https://mailchi.mp/3d253e141eff/csfberksmay2019-4753858 When Buzz Gifted me a Manual A few years ago my boss, Buzz, CSFPA’s Executive Director, assigned the task of new staff training to me.…
Continue reading ➞ The Stories We Tell of our Past and how they Shape our Present
For our Friday Psalm, we are skipping ahead to Psalm 55. Go ahead and read it. The first fifteen verses of this Psalm reveal a man in anguish and despair. Apparently a close friend of David's has betrayed him, which hurts more than any attacks from his enemies. Following this he writes: 16 As for…
Continue reading ➞ Three Times a Day I Cry Out (Psalm 55, Weekly Word)
Read Psalm 14 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 14 begins with this declaration that appears rather confrontational. Calling people "fools" is not the best way to get them to listen to your point of view. …
Continue reading ➞ The Fool and Getting Away With It – Psalm 14 (Weekly Word)
Last Saturday the Penn State football team did something that has not happened since 1941 - they lost a game to Temple. Temple? Really? I did not watch it, we took the kids to visit my dad and is wife at a campground they were staying at. Hiking around the woods with the little ones…
Dealing with university rules can be a pain at times. Whether you want to have food for an event, bring in a guest speaker, pass out information on your group or just about anything else on campus, there is loads of red tape. Hoops to jump through. Forms to sign and date. It can be…
Continue reading ➞ Follow University Rules and Things Go Fine
"Daddy, why are you giving bags to the students?" We were driving home from campus earlier tonight when Junia asked me this question. Last Friday we had gone to a church to help put items into care packages for the PSU Berks students. Junia excelled at this, marching through the assembly line and filling each…
Continue reading ➞ Explaining College Ministry to a Four Year Old
Every year Beloit College releases their mindset list to give us a window on the world in which incoming freshman have grown up. This list is always a fun and enlightening read. When I speak to churches about campus ministry, I say that working with college students does require us to speak a new language…
Continue reading ➞ Beloit College Mindset List , Class of 2019
This summer I am going to dedicate each Friday to questions that students have asked me about God, faith and such. Some of these questions come were forwarded to me from Christian students or their skeptical friends. Others are questions that I have been asked in some way, shape or form many times. I do…
